Baseball in 2010 has endured so many famous losses that it would have been OK to wait a few more days for more bad news on the health front.

No such luck, as Hall of Famer and former Minnesota Twins slugger Harmon Killebrew announced Thursday that he has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

Killebrew, who is 74 years old, made a statement through the Twins that he expects to beat the disease.

“With my wife, Nita, by my side, I have begun preparing for what is perhaps the most difficult battle of my life. I am being treated by a team of medical professionals at the Mayo Clinic. While my condition is very serious, I have confidence in my doctors and the medical staff and I anticipate a full recovery.”

Cancer always is bad. Some cancers are worse than others. Cancer of the esophagus is one of the worst. But the Mayo Clinic is where you want to be, and Killebrew’s attitude is the one you want to have.

The Stew’s thoughts are with Killebrew, who was nice enough to answer some questions this past October during the MLB playoffs. We talked about Joe Mauer(notes), PED’s and Killebrew’s famous appearance on David Letterman.

DB: Did you use to go on David Letterman a lot?

HK: Used to a lot? I was on his show once [laughs].

DB: Just one?

HK: Well, I came out with other Hall of Famers to do a Top 10 deal a couple years ago, but you might remember me being on a whole show [laughs].

DB: That’s right!

HK: Yep, I was on for a whole hour (in 1986). And that was the first time that ever happened. I said, “What am I gonna do with David Letterman for a whole hour?” They said, “Don’t worry, we got it figured out, it’ll work out fine.”

DB: So what do you remember about the experience?

HK: At first, they called me to ask if I would do a segment for a special they were doing. I said, “No, I don’t think I want to do that.” But they kept after me and talked me into it and sent a crew out to Oregon and Idaho, where I was, and they spent a whole week out there. They did a lot of filming and they cut it down to an eight-minute segment [laughs].

[Listen to part of the interview.]

HK: So it came time for the show and they called me up and said, “We’re not going to have time to put you on the show.” I said, “Oh, great. Well, that’s good [laughs]!” So I think they were feeling sorry or guilty and, a couple of months later they called and said, “Dave Letterman wants you to do the whole show.” And I said, “Oh, I don’t think so. What am I going to do with David Letterman for a whole hour?” And they said, “Aw, c’mon, it’ll be great.” Finally, I said I’d do it.

DB: Were you more of a Johnny Carson man?

HK: Well, in those days, yeah. I didn’t really know Dave Letterman, but I knew he was a real baseball fan. Of course, when I was on there, it went great. Worked out real fine.

All-time, Killebrew is 11th in home runs, 15th in walks and 37th in adjusted batting wins.

Most of all, he seems like a kind person. And he markets his own root beer! We wish him a quick and lasting recovery.

Follow Dave on Twitter — @AnswerDave

Related: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

GETTING TO KNOW JOSH ORTIZ
Hometown — St. Paul, Minn., by way of La Junta
Parents, local family — Julia Ortiz; Angel Ortiz; (brother) Joel, Dawn, Lucas and Isabella Ortiz.
Education info — La Junta High School ‘01 and Macalester College (St. Paul, Minn.) ’05
Favorite book — “Friday Night Lights”
Favorite song — The MP3 file I have of our 2001 (La Junta) high school state championship game.
Favorite sports team — Minnesota Twins – they pay me every two weeks!  Of course the Denver Broncos, too.

Q Where do you currently work? What is your role/title? Describe your position

A I am the Community Programs Coordinator for the Minnesota Twins Baseball Club and Minnesota Twins Community Fund.  My main job is to oversee all of our youth baseball and softball programs.  Some of our programs include our Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities baseball and softball leagues, Twins Training Camps, Twins Training Academy and our Play Ball! Minnesota initiative to improve baseball and softball in the Upper Midwest.  Through our work with the Twins Community Fund I help distribute over one million dollars a year in our community through our programs and grants.  I also help with other community relations projects such as our player and alumni charity events.

Q How did you get involved with this organization?

A I started out as an intern in 2007 in the Ticket Sales and Service department.  The Twins are known as an organization that hires from within, so my internship led directly to my current full- time job.

Q What do you enjoy most about your job?

A I love the chance that I have to combine my passion for baseball with my passion for community.  Through our resources as a Major League Baseball organization and through our players and alumni generosity, I am able to help a lot of kids and families.  It’s such a great feeling to be in a position to put smiles on kids’ and families’ faces through baseball.

Q Where do you coach (and info about team)

A Along with my Twins job, I am an assistant baseball coach at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn.  We are an NCAA Division III school in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.  I coach hitters and help coordinate our player evaluation and recruiting.  We have had three players go on to sign professional contracts in the last five years.  I’m happy to have the opportunity to stay on the field and work with talented baseball players.

Q Did growing up in La Junta have any influence on your current work?

A Yes, I was fortunate to be involved in baseball from such an early age.  Growing up in La Junta, I got to play with a great group of guys; we had a lot of success and I learned a lot of skills that I use in my career today.  Growing up in La Junta also helped me develop a passion for community.  La Junta is a community where people help each other out, so at an early age I got to experience how important that is; I think that is why I enjoy my line of work so much right now.  Growing up in La Junta helped develop two of my main passions – baseball and community.

Q Who are your role models/inspiration, why?

A This is such a hard question for me because I have so many.  There have been a lot of people in my life that have looked after me and inspired me in many ways – this is one of the best parts of growing up in a town like La Junta.  My family has definitely been an extremely strong inspiration for me.

by Mark Zdechlik, Minnesota Public Radio

December 30, 2010

St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Twins have decided to move next month’s Twins Fest charity fundraiser to the National Sports Center in Blaine.

Twins Fest had been scheduled to take place at the Metrodome at the end of January, but the Twins had to find a new location since the collapsed roof of the Dome won’t be repaired until at least March.

Twins spokesman Kevin Smith says the National Sports Center should be able to accommodate most of the activities associated with Twins Fest, but not all of them.

“We might have to not do some of the larger interactive games that we had that kids enjoyed — running around on the turf of the Metrodome, because those took up a lot of space. I would say perhaps a few fewer memorabilia dealers,” said Smith.

Hundreds of college baseball games were scheduled to take place at the Metrodome in February and March, including about 40 University of Minnesota Gopher games. Officials are looking for other places to hold those games.

AP

American League All-Stars Frank Robinson (l.), Harmon Killebrew (c.) and Reggie Jackson are all smiles after beating the National League in the 1971 All-Star Game in Detroit.

MINNEAPOLIS – Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

The 74-year-old Killebrew released a statement through the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, saying he expects to make a full recovery from the “very serious” condition.

“With my wife, Nita, by my side, I have begun preparing for what is perhaps the most difficult battle of my life,” Killebrew said.

Killebrew hit 573 home runs and made 11 All-Star appearances during his 22-year career spent mostly with the Washington Senators and Twins. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1984 and was fifth on the career home run list when he retired in 1975 after one season with the Kansas City Royals.

Killebrew currently ranks 11th on the homer list, and his eight seasons with 40 or more homers still is tied for second in league history to Babe Ruth.

Killebrew has maintained a regular presence with the Twins for years. He now lives in the Phoenix area and said he is receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic nearby. He was optimistic about his chances for recovery.

“The Mayo Clinic is one of the largest and most experienced medical centers treating esophageal cancer in the world. In the past decade, they have made tremendous advances in the treatment of this disease,” he said. “Nita and I feel blessed to have access to the best doctors and medical care.”

The congenial heavy hitter is one of the most beloved players in Twins history, as much for his gentle and approachable nature off the field as for the towering home runs he hit during his playing days.

Twins designated hitter Jim Thome passed Killebrew on the career home run list in August, belting two at brand new Target Field. After the feat, Killebrew issued a gracious congratulatory message to Thome.

“I speak very highly of Jim Thome,” Killebrew said in September. “Not only is he a great player, but he’s a great individual. I think he was a little apprehensive about passing me up. I said, ‘Jim, I passed a lot of guys up myself along the way. I hope you hit 100 more.”’